Reboot: Mechanic

Mary's fingers danced across the holographic keyboard as she initiated the hacking process. 

Shi Tian watched in awe as lines of code and data flowed rapidly on the screen. It was like watching a master musician play a complex piece on a piano, each keystroke deliberate and precise.

The incognito function they were using masked their presence well, but Mary knew that it was still a race against time. The longer she stayed connected, the higher the risk of detection.

As Mary continued to work her magic, Vanessa leaned over to Shi Tian and whispered, "She's good at what she does, no doubt about that."

Shi Tian nodded, his eyes fixed on the screen. "Absolutely. Hacking isn't just about technical skills; it's also about staying calm under pressure and being able to adapt quickly. Mary seems to excel in both areas."

Vanessa couldn't help but admire Mary's expertise, despite their earlier disagreements. The tension in the vehicle had shifted from interpersonal conflicts to a shared sense of purpose.

Meanwhile, Mary's hacking progress was relentless. 

She bypassed firewalls, navigated through layers of encryption, and attempted to plant the information they wanted to leak. To an onlooker like Shi Tian, it was a blur of numbers, symbols, and lines of code, but to Mary, it was a symphony she orchestrated.

Just when Shi Tian and Vanessa thought the play was done and Mary finished her musician-like hacking, Mary suddenly clicked her tongue.

"Damn it, these moderators aren't playing around." Mary was displeased as her eyes remained fixated on the screen. 

"What happened, Mary?" Shi Tian moved closer to her and glanced at the screen. His expression changed slightly when he saw some sort of bots chasing after her, causing the code Mary did to be damaged slightly. 

"These moderators actually installed cybersecurity bots and they are advanced as heck too." Mary subtly explained, her fingers moving in faster to avoid the cybersecurity bots' attack. 

On the screen, cybersecurity bots were attacking the avatar that Mary was using to hack into the system. It was an intense chase scene, with Mary constantly having to input multiple keys to avoid the attacks sent by the cybersecurity bots. 

The tension in the vehicle escalated as Mary continued her fierce battle against the cybersecurity bots. Lines of code and digital attacks clashed in a virtual battlefield, and it was clear that these cybersecurity bots were not to be underestimated.

Shi Tian and Vanessa watched in silence, realizing the gravity of the situation. The success of their mission depended on Mary's ability to outmaneuver these advanced cybersecurity measures.

Vanessa couldn't help but ask, "Can you handle this, Mary?"

Mary didn't take her eyes off the screen as she replied, "I can handle it, but it's going to take some time. These bots are persistent, and they seem to adapt to my tactics. We might need to find another way to leak the information if this keeps up."

Shi Tian contemplated the situation. Time was of the essence, and they couldn't afford to waste too much of it on this virtual battle. He wondered if there was any other approach they could take.

"Is there a way to distract these cybersecurity bots?" Shi Tian asked, hoping to brainstorm a solution.

A few seconds later, Mary nodded, her fingers still moving rapidly on the holographic keyboard. 

"Yes, we can create a diversion, something that will draw their attention away from us long enough for me to finish the job," Mary explained, dodging another round of offensive digital codes of attack from the bots. 

"Nathan, quickly boot up the backup computer. The backup computer might be an outdated version but it still has the incognito function. I'm going to create a clone and send it to you to control. It's a decoy without substance, so all you need to do is avoid the bots' attack and bring them to another direction from me." She instructed. 

"But I don't know the codes and commands to control the clone." Shi Tian responded, clearly knowing his skills were inadequate. 

He didn't want to pretend to be tough, only to ruin things in the end. His skills were inferior, and he would admit it instead of trying to be some know-it-all person. 

"Rest assured, Nathan. As I've said, the clone is without substance and only has the appearance, meaning all you have to do is control the WASD key for its movement. You'll simply be playing a simple game of dodging, but if you get hit even once, it's game over." 

"I see…" A bit stunned by the simple mechanics compared to Mary's intense keyboard warrior style, Shi Tian spent a few seconds booting up the backup computer. 

It was a good thing that Mary had given him a somewhat guided tour of the Iron Sentinel. And although there were still quite a lot of things he remained ignorant about, the backup computer was something Mary had told him long ago. 

It seemed like Mary had anticipated that there would be a day when he would be required to assist her with a backup computer, so she had informed him beforehand. 

As Shi Tian waited for the backup computer to boot up, Vanessa was sitting by the side, clearly ignored completely. 

Alas, this time, even Vanessa could not complain a bit and could only sit there in silence. Whatever Mary and Shi Tian were about to do, she had zero clues regarding it.

They were now talking in a realm that only a Mechanic class could understand and she was an Esper class. If it were a topic revolving around magicule and its manipulation, then she would be able to give advice and suggestions.

However, that was not the case, and she was not needed. 

Placing a hand beneath her chin, Vanessa could only show a somewhat frowning face, clearly disappointed that she could only be a flower vase at this point. 

'Tsk, why are Mechanics so complicated with cybersecurity this and that? We should have just fought it out with magicule.' Vanessa thought to herself.